Denver Community Church

September 21, 2008: Our Practices, Part Three: Serve – Michael Hidalgo and Katie Sewell

In Luke 4, Jesus announces the inauguration of his ministry by quoting Isaiah 61. The words of the prophet rang off the walls of the synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus then says, these words are fulfilled. Initially it seems as though Jesus is claiming to be God, but this is not what upsets the people in Nazareth. At some level he is claiming to speak for God – he is claiming to be the one who is bringing the good news, the gospel, to the poor and the captives.

September 14, 2008: Our Practices, Part Two: Engage – Michael Hidalgo

There are a million questions about prayer. Does God hear me when I pray? If God knows why should I pray? Will God do anything if I do not pray? If I pray about it and God says no, and I really wanted it can I still pray about it? On it goes. Many of the questions related to prayer have to do with the idea that prayer is something that involves us asking God for stuff. In many ways it has become a compulsory effort on our part. 

When we hear things like, “Pray without ceasing” we cannot imagine spending the rest of our lives asking for this or that. But what if prayer is simply an ongoing conversation that leads to deeper relationship with God, and with others. What if in our conversations with God we come to know not only God better, but also ourselves better?

September 7, 2008: Our Practices, Part One: Living Out the Story – Michael Hidalgo

John begins his gospel by ripping off the creation account in Genesis. Or is he? He seems to be playing off ideas about logos that was held both in the Jewish and the Greek mind. Both cultures shared ideas with regard to what the word was and is – they just viewed it from different perspectives. John points toward Jesus being the Word … Jesus even stands up and says that he is the Bread From Heaven! All of this may seem well and good, but we still have to ask the question “Why study it?” 

The beauty of this book is that the ending is still future. We have not gotten there, which means we are living the story of the Bible now. When it speaks of the church being the Body of Christ – this includes us. If we are to live out the story with its plot, direction, and characters, then we must understand it well. 

August 31, 2008: This is Supposed to Start Small – Michael Hidalgo

The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds – yet the mustard plant is the wildest of all plants. One cannot control the mustard plant, no matter how hard they try, and once it is planted and has grown the area in which it was planted can never be cleared of the plants as they will grow again and again. 

Jesus uses an example that defies the logic and the rule of his day. It was clearly stated in Mishnah that one could not plant mustard seeds in a garden (Kelayim 2.8; 3.2). This is because the plant would end up taking over the whole garden – it could not be controlled. Jesus’ point seems to be not a challenge of the rules – but an observation of the kingdom. 

It starts small – a little yeast or a little seed. When one observes the pattern throughout scripture of who Jesus chooses it is always the last, the lost, the least. They are the ones that Jesus uses. From the acacia tree to build his throne (the ark of the covenant) to the nation of Israel itself. We continually see that God chooses that which is small. 

The beauty of this is that once it takes root – it is becomes out of control. 

August 17, 2008: First, Last and Everyone Else – Michael Hidalgo

Just before the start of this parable, and right at the end of this parable Jesus says the same thing, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” Boiling this little maxim down it seems to simply mean, “All are equal in God’s sight.” This is a beautiful thought – until we are the ones who have worked the entire day in the vineyard. So often we find ourselves striving to do something great – after all we should be rewarded for our hard work, right?

Jesus’ parable challenges the status quo of his day, and calls into question the supposed “pecking order” that existed in his society. In the economy of Jesus, even the outcast was welcomed to the same table as the righteous. This parable is about justice – about everyone receiving enough for the day. Jeremias wrote in reference to this parable, “… all receive only an amount sufficient to sustain life … no one receives more, they touch the owner’s heart.”

August 10, 2008: So Worth It – Michael Hidalgo

So often we are told that we have to “Count the Cost” if we want to follow Jesus. There seems to be this thing over our heads that makes it seem like following Jesus is absolute drudgery. We follow Jesus with little mirth in our hearts, and as we force a smile we say things like, “I have counted the cost … and I am bearing my cross.”

But let’s stop and think about Jesus’ message in these two short parables (or comparisons). Both of these people recognize that what they are getting far outweighs what they already have. The point of these short teachings is simply the great joy of discovering the kingdom. 

August 3, 2008: Pulling Weeds – Brian Gray

July 27, 2008: Paths, Rocks, Thorns, and Dirt – Michael Hidalgo

This parable is more than just a simple commentary on the ability of humanity to respond to Jesus’ message. This paprable seems to be rooted in the prophetic language that Jesus uses over and again in his teachings. 

In his speaking of sowing he is resurrecting the language of men like Jeremiah and Isaiah. The Psalmist sang of sowing and reaping continually. Much of this sowing/reaping language seems to be caught up in Isaiah’s language from Isa. 6 – there the prophet sees the Israel like a tree being cut down in judgment – however the promise is from the stump comes a shoot. Jesus even quotes the prophet after telling the parable to “tip his hand” in a sense. 

It seems that in this parable Jesus is doing what the prophets had warned would happen: He is judging Israel for her idolatry and oppression – at the same time he was calling them to become a new people, a renewed Israel. He was announcing a way out of exile – God was sowing a seed of redemption – would his people hear it?

July 13, 2008: Real and Not So Real – Michael Hidalgo

So often today people talk about praying to see what God wants from them. While sounding ultra pious this can also be a very frustrating thing. It seems obvious what God wants from us. Those that Jesus points to as the ones who claim to have known him are doing many things – but are they really doing what he called them to? They are calling him “Lord” or “Master” yet they are not living in obedience to Jesus. 

So often we claim to follow Jesus – but are we doing what he asks us to do? Are we truly following after him? Jesus seems much more interested in what his people are doing versus if they “look good” to everybody else. 

July 6, 2008: Wolves and Fruit – Michael Hidalgo

There are a lot of people who can do a lot of good things. In our culture much is driven by the way one believes. If we can just get our minds in the right place, then we will be set. However, Jesus says that there are many who can look the part, however, there are few that are the part of which he speaks. It is not just knowing who Jesus is, but doing the will of his father in heaven.